Stowing facility for commodities in railway and other vehicles, and in storage warehouses



April 1937. E. A. SWEELEY ET AL 2,077,650

STOWING FACILITY FOR COMMODITIES IN RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND IN STORAGE WAREHOUSES Filed Sept. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l l\ I:-1lY Q Edward vZ Saredqg/ Norman Tkflnderson April 1937- E A. SWEELEY ET AL 2,077,650

STOWING FACILITY FOR COMMODITIES IN RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND IN STORAGE WAREHOUSES Filed Sept. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 pm 7] NZAM W 5 25 .ZZdarard flSweeLey Norman Tfindersorc Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Edward A. Sweeley, Alexandria, Va., and Norman T. Anderson, Washington, D. 0., assignors to Fruit Growers Express Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1935, Serial No. 39,172

Claims. (Cl. 105-370) This invention relates to a structure for supporting fragile, perishable, or other commodities while in storage, or during their transportation in railway cars, ships, trucks or the like. In has particular application to railway cars or other vehicles and is designed to facilitate storage of the cargo therein, so that the loading space of the carmay be more efliciently utilized. In its broader aspect, however, the invention is applicable to cars, trucks, ships and storage houses, generally, or wherever it is desirable to divide the load to be stored, in order to minimize damage to the goods by crushing, and to obtain improved ventilation, refrigeration, or aeration of the commodities during their transportation and/or storage.

As is generally known, shipments for transportation in refrigerator cars and other vehicles may be in bulk, bags, sacks, boxes, crates, cans, barrels, and the like; and where the shipment is in sturdy containers, such as, crates, or barrels, the latter may be stacked one upon another to occupy substantially the entire storage space, without incurring risk of appreciably damaging the shipment. In this case, only one deck or floor is necessary to support the load.

Where, however, goods such as fruit and vegetables are in bulk or in flexible containers, the perishable characteristics of the goods, and their susceptibility to damage by crushing or bruising must be taken into consideration when loading or storing. As an example of goods in such containers, oranges and other citrus fruits are stored or shipped in special sacks or cartons. According to the usual shipping or storing method of today, the goods are merely piled on the floor in bulk, sacks, bags or cartons. In order to meet minimum loading requirements for railway and other vehicles, shipments are necessarily piled to such extent that the weight upon the fruit or other perishable or fragile commodities, near and at the bottom of the pile, frequently causes those goods to be mashed, bruised or otherwise damaged. With such loading method, a shipment of a oranges, watermelons, potatoes, cabbages or other similar commodity, often reaches its destination with some loss or damage to goods, resulting principally from the loading method employed. 'Io obviate this disadvantage, the present invention provides auxiliary load supporting decks, positioned intermediate the ceiling and floor of the shipping or storage space, to thus divide the goods into parts, so that the weight on the goods on each deck is materially reduced and maintained within safe limits. The possibility'of frailcommodities being damaged in storage or during transit is thereby substantially eliminated.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a construction for a. railway or other vehicle, such as a refrigerator car, or for a storage warehouse, so that its loading space is readily convertible for ;either single or multiple deck loading in accordance with the character of the goods to be shipped or stored.

Another object is to provide equipment for stowing fruits, vegetables, and the like, in a vehicle or warehouse, so as to secure a maximum loading with the minimum bruising, and this without diminishing the loading or stowing space for other uses.

A further object of the invention is to provide stationary or mobile storage with auxiliary deck equipment which may be readily brought into position for use, or folded away in converting the storage for either multiple or single deck loading.

It is another object of this invention to provide load supporting deck equipment, suitable for storage rooms, refrigerator cars, and other vehicles, whichequipment, in the case of double deck loadmg will offer the minimum of interference with thalabor of loading the two decks, and which giqlullpngent 1rfiay tbe conveniently and succese y roug in 0 use proceeds as the loading or storing The invention also has among its objects to provide storage facility with an upper deck equipment which permits the positioning of upper deck supporting posts, prior to loading of the lower deck, and permits placement of the upper deck in load supporting position after loading of the lower deck.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a double deck construction such that the upper deck supporting posts may be folded into an out-of-the-way position beneath the floor racks when only single deck loading is desired.

It is another object to provide an improved structure for load supporting deck racks.

Another object is to provide improved supporting means for a deck rack.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross sectional view, in pe p Showing the interior of a refrigerator car equipped with an embodiment of this invention.

deck racks shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a rack supporting post and upper deck racks in assembled load supporting position, the cross sectional view of the left rack being taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of floor racks and an upper deck supporting post in folded position.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view in perspective of an upper deck supporting post and floor bracket (partly in section), the central part of the post being broken away for purposes of better illustration.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view, partly in cross section, showing the assembled position of upper deck racks and rack supports mounted in the bulkhead.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows the rack support of Figure 9 when in the vertical inoperative position.

Referring now to the drawings, these illustrate the invention as embodied in a railway refrigerator car. The construction for both ends of the car, according to this invention, is the same, so that a description and an illustration of only one end of the car are necessary to a complete understanding of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a view of the loading space of a refrigerator car having a floor 2, side-walls 3 and bulkhead 4.

Upper deck racks 5 are pivotally supported, as by hinges, (not shown) to a ledge or rail 6 provided on the car side-walls 3. For a detail showing of suitable hinge and rail support, reference is made to our copending application Serial No. 24,754, filed June 3, 1935. These racks may be swung individually on their hinges from a horizontal, deck forming position (see Figure 4, and rack on right in background of Figure 1) to a vertical folded position (see other racks 5 in Figure 1) against the car side-walls where they may be held in place by suitable catches 1. Any convenient number of racks may be used, the drawings showing, for purposes of illustration, four racks 5 secured to each side-wall, it stood that the opposite end of the car is provided with the same or a different number of racks. For convenience, the racks 5 on one side of the car, at either end, may be considered as a deck rack section.

As shown in detail in Figures 2-4 inclusive, each rack 5 is preferably composed of a plurality of closely spaced wooden or metallic slats 8 secured to the flanges 9, III of a hollow metallic frame II 1 and cross brace member I2.

supporting ends, are

The frame I I is of substantially the same thickness as the slats (except where the slats are recessed to receive the flanges 9, I0), so that the rack presents flush surfaces on its opposite sides. At each of the outer corners of the frame I I, there is provided a dowel pin I3, which may be suitably secured in place, and preferably by welding an enlarged inner end of the pin within the hollow rack frame I I. The arrangement of the pin in a frame member is shown in Figure 9.

For supporting the upper deck racks 5 in their operative or load supporting position, there is provided along the center of the car a suitable number of posts I4. These posts I4, at their rack provided with flat plates I5, suitably secured thereto, so that when the post is in an upright position the plate will be in a horibeing underzontal plane. Each plate I5 is provided with four apertures I6 positioned to receive the dowel pins I3 when the racks 5 are lowered. The posts I4, at their opposite ends, are pivotally supported from the floor 2 by specially constructed hinge members in order that the posts may be swung from a horizontal, inoperative position, into an upright or operative position to support the outer ends of adjacent racks. Each post constitutes a support for the adjacent corners of four racks. The post base Il comprises a rectangular metallic forging or casting, preferably U-shaped, to which the foot of the post is rigidly connected in any suitable manner. The base members IT are received within upstanding flanges of the brackets I8, which latter are fastened, as for example by screws or bolts to the car floor 2. The brackets carry a square pivot or hinge pin I9 which is held against rotary movement in the vertical flanges of the brackets and extends through a key-hole slot 20 in the base member I1 and through a similarly shaped slot in the foot of the post I4. The elongated end of each slot 20 is proportioned to snugly flt the flat sides of the square pin I9 while the other end of the slot is of circular shape and of larger size than the square pin. This key-hole and pin structure prevents swinging of the post when the pin I9 is in the narrow end of slot 20, and permits swinging of the post when shifted so that the pin I9 is in the larger or circular end of the slot.

When a post I4 is properly positioned in its vertical rack supporting position, the pin I9 is within the elongated end of the key-hole slot 20 and the bottom edges of the post base member I1 provide a square bearing surface which rests on the flat base of bracket I8 so that the post will have a flrm and stable footing. In this way, the base member I! relieves the pin I9 of a great part of the strain as when the post tends to swing or move from its vertical position.

When a post I4 lies in its folded, inoperative, horizontal position, the pin I9 is preferably disposed within the circular part of the key-hole slot 20, and the plate I5 is received within the narrow depression of a recessed floor plate 32 (see Figure 6). The depression in the floor plate 32 is dimensioned with respect to the thickness of plate I5 such that when the plate is received in the recess it will securely hold the post against sliding or shifting movement. The engagement between the floor plate 32 and post plate I5, also prevents the entrance of pin I9 into the elongated end of the key-hole slot 20 while the post is in the horizontal position. If desired, however,

the floor plate 32 may be eliminated, or its depressed part may be made larger in order to permit limited shifting of the post while in its horizontal position to an extent that the pin I9 may enter the elongated end of slot 20, and thus prevent accidental swinging movement of the post. The illustrated form of floor plate, however, is preferred, since it avoids the possibility of the pin I9 being bent, sheared, or broken in the event an attempt is made to raise the post, without regard for its position relative to the pivot pin.

A special type of support is provided for the sides of the two upper deck racks adjacent a bulkhead 4 at either end of the car. A square pin 2i is nonrotatably mounted within a recess 22 of the bulkhead 4 (see Figures 8-10). 23, having their outer ends bent to provide dowel pin sockets 24, are mounted on the square pin 2I, the latter extending through the key-hole slot Straps 23 in each strap 23. when the straps 23 are not in use, they can be rotated and slid or dropped into vertical position within the recess 22 with the pin 2| disposed in the narrow end of the slot to thereby prevent swinging of the strap (see Figure 10). If the straps 23 are to be positioned for supporting adjacent racks,- they are lifted until the pin 2! enters the circular end of slot 25 so that the strap may be swung on the pin as a pivot. The ledge 28, which may comprise a short length of angle iron, provides 'a rest or stop for the straps in their horizontal rack supporting position (see Figure 9).

In addition to the upper deck previously described, a lower or floor deck is provided to space the load thereon from the car floor 2. Such lower deck, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of deck racks 21 secured, as by hinges 28, to the car side walls so that they may be swung clear of the car floor 2.

Each floor rack 21 preferably comprises a number of slats 29 and stringers 30. A; the free ends of the floor racks, parts of the slats 29 are removed to provide openings or apertures 3| adjacent the post brackets it for a purpose to be described.

When it is desired to convert the double deck equipment for single deck loading, the upper deck racks 5 are folded against the car side-walls (see upper racks on left in Figure l), and the posts H are folded to lie upon the car fioor as shown in Figures 5 and 6 and in the foreground of Figure 1. In this position, the posts l4 are disposed beneath the meeting ends. of the slats 29 (see Figures 5 and 6) and between the end stringers 30 (see Figure 5), a square side of the base member i! being uppermost and substantially filling the floor deck openings 3| to provide a flush loading deck surface (see Figures 5 and 6). The straps 23 also are out of the way, being wholly within the recess 22 as shown in Figure 10.

In the event the car is to be converted for double deck loading, the following simplified procedure may be adopted. The straps 23 are lifted and then swung to a horizontal position (see Figure 9). The floor rack sections are raised on their hinges sufiiciently to permit access to the posts M. The latter may then be swung to the upright position (see Figure 4 and posts in background of Figure 1) As each post reaches the upright position and the elongated end of its key-hole slot 20 arrives at a point directly over the square pin l9 extending through the circular end of the slot, the weight of the post causes it to'drop, with the pin sliding into the elongated end of the slot. The pin and slot connection in this relative position prevents the post from swinging and maintains it in the vertical position. The rectangular base member l'l also aids in maintaining the stability and rigidity of the post in its vertical load supporting position.

The floor deck racks 21 may then be lowered to rest upon the car floor, the posts I 4 now extending through the openings 3| (see raised posts in Figure 1). Loading of the lower or floor deck may proceed from the bulkhead to the center of the car, and as the loading on the floor deck progresses, the upper deck racks 5 while still the apertures in each plate I! receive the four dowel pins depending from the four adjacent rack corners.

It will thus be seen that the invention affords improved facility in loading, as the pos s may be set up either throughout the length of the car or in groups, floor loading may be done from the ends of the car to each successive post without interference from the upper racks, and the latter may then be dropped and-loaded after the floor rack sections beneath them have been loaded.

While this invention is particularly applicable to railway refrigerator cars, it offers obvious advantages when practiced in connection with other types of railway and road vehicles, including so-called ventilator cars, box cars, express cars, and motor trucks as well as ships and in storage warehouses.

Only one embodiment of each of the features of this invention has been shown and described, but other forms and modifications embodying the invention may be readily devised within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprisng a stowing compartment having a load supporting surface and side walls, folding rack sections secured to said side-walls and adapted to form an auxiliary load supporting surface within said compartment for supporting goods above the level of said first mentioned supporting surface, and supporting posts for said rack sections, said posts being mounted for swinging movement from a vertical rack support ing position to a horizontal inoperative position below said first-mentioned load supporting surface to leave the latter surface substantially unobstructed when the said posts are in their said horizontal inoperative position.

2. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprising a stowing compartment having a. floor deck and side-walls, folding rack sections secured to said side-walls adapted to form anauxiliary deck within said compartment for supporting goods above the floor deck level, and supporting posts for said rack sections, said posts being secured to the compartment floor for swinging movement from a vertical rack supporting position to a horizontal inoperative position below the floor deck level.

3. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprising a stowihg compartment having a floor deck and side-walls, folding rack sections secured to said side-walls adapted to form an auxiliary deck within said compartment for supporting goods above the floor deck level, and supporting posts for said rack sections, said posts being secured to the compartment floor for swinging movement from a vertical rack supporting position to a horizontal inoperative position below the floor deck level, the floor deck being constructed to receive the said posts when swung into their inoperative position and to present a substantially unobstructed load supporting surface for single deck loading,

4. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprising a stowing compartment, rack sections secured along a side-wall thereof to form an upper deck within said compartment for supporting a load of goods, the said sections being foldable against the compartment side-walls, supporting posts for said rack sections, each post being secured at its base to the compartment floor for swinging movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position, and floor racks forming a lower load supporting deck beneath said upper deck and overlying said supporting posts in their folded inoperative position.

5. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprising a stowing compartment, rack sections secured along a side-wall thereof for movement from a horizontal deckforming position within said compartment to a folded inoperative position against said side-wall, supporting posts for said rack sections secured to the compartment floor for movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position against the compartment floor, and floor racks forming a lower load supporting deck below said upper deck and overlying said supporting posts in their folded position, said floor racks being movable to allow erection of the posts to their rack supporting position and constructed so that in their load supporting position said posts extend therethrough in upright rack supporting position.

6. In a structure providing an auxiliary support for goods during shipment and/or storing, the combination comprising a stowing compartment having side-walls and a floor, rack sections hinged along the opposite side-walls of the compartment for movement from a horizontal position where they form an upper deck between the said opposite side-walls to a folded inoperative position against the said walls, supporting posts for said rack sections hinged to the compartment floor for movement from an upright rack supporting position at the meeting edges of said rack sections to a folded inoperative position against the compartment floor, and floor racks forming a lower load supporting deck having apertures through which said posts extend in their upright rack supporting position, said floor racks being movable to allow said posts to be folded to an inoperative position against the fioor, in which position said posts underlie the floor racks, and the latter present a substantially unobstructed load supporting deck.

7. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading the combination comprising, rack sections forming an auxiliary load supporting deck within the vehicle and movable to an out-of-the-way position to provide for single deck loading within the vehicle, folding posts for supporting said rack sections, each said post being secured at its base to said vehicle for movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position, and floor racks forming a lower load supporting deck below said upper deck and overlying said supporting posts in their folded inoperative position, said floor racks being movable to allow erection of said posts to rack supporting position and so constructed that in their load supporting position said posts extend therethrough in upright vertical rack supporting positions.

8. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading the combination comprising, inner car side-walls, folding rack sections hinged along said side-walls to form an upper load supporting deck within the vehicle, said rack sections being foldable to an inoperative position against said side-walls, folding posts for supporting said rack sections, said posts being hinged to the vehicle floor for movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position against the vehicle floor, and floor racks forming a lower load supporting deck below said upper deck and overlying said supporting posts in their folded inoperative position, said floor racks being movable to allow erection of said posts to rack supporting position and apertured to permit said posts to extend therethrough when said floor racks and posts are in their load supporting positions.

9. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading the combination comprising, folding rack sections adapted to form an upper load supporting deck within the vehicle, inner car side-walls to which said racks are pivotally secured and against which they are foldable to an inoperative positiomsupporting posts for said upper rack sections spaced along the longitudinal center line of the car, said posts being secured to the vehicle floor for movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position against the vehicle floor, and floor rack sections forming a lower load supporting deck below said upper deck, the said sections extending from both car side-walls to the longitudinal center line of the car, and having their meeting edges arranged to overlie said supporting posts in their folded inoperative position, said floor racks being movable to allow erection of said. posts to rack supporting position and having cutout portions to permit said posts to extend therethrough 'when said floor racks and posts are in load supporting positions.

10. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading the combination comprising a load supporting rack forming at least part of an upper deck within the vehicle and movable to an out-of-the-way position to clear the vehicle space for single deck loading, a supporting post for said rack, said post being secured at its base to said vehicle for movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded inoperative position, and a floor deck below said upper deck and overlying said supporting post in its folded inoperative position, said floor deck being movable to allow erection of said post to upright rack supporting position and constructed to permit said post to extend therethrough in its upright rack supporting position.

11. In a supporting structure for an auxiliary deck in a railway vehicle the combination comprising, a bracket secured to the vehicle floor structure and having upstanding flanges at either side thereof, a non-circular pin rigidly secured to and extending between said flanges, and a deck supporting post secured at its base to said pin for swinging movement thereon, said post base having a key-hole slot through which said pin extends, said pin and. slot connection being arranged to provide for swinging movement of the post' when the pin is in the enlarged portion of the slot and preventing swinging movement of the post when the pin is in the narrow portion of the slot.

12. In a railway vehicle construction providing an auxiliary load supporting deck within the vehicle, the combination comprising an upper rack supporting post hinged to the vehicle floor structure for swinging movement from an upright rack supporting position to a folded horizontal inoperative position, said post having a base with an enlarged part at one side thereof,

and movable floor decking overlying said post in its folded position and having an aperture through which the post extends when the post is in its upright position and said floor decking is in its load supporting position, the enlarged part of said post base being arranged to lie within said aperture to present together with the floor decking a substantially flush'floor deck loading surface when the post is folded to its horizontal position.

13. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading the combination comprising, folding rack sections hinged to the opposite inner vehicle side-walls to form an upper load supporting deck within the vehicle with the meeting edges of the rack sections in their operative position extending longitudinally of the vehicle, and folding means spaced longitudinally of the vehicle to support said sections adjacent their meeting edges, said means comprising folding posts hinged to the vehicle floor structure and folding arms hinged to the inner end walls of the vehicle, said rack sections, arms and posts being foldable from their load supporting position to an inoperative position along the inner vehicle walls and floor to which they are hinged.

14. In combination with the structure defined in claim 13, means providing pin-interlocking engagement between said rack sections and their said supporting means in load-supporting positions.

15. In a railway or other vehicle having provision for double deck loading, the combination comprising opposite inner car side walls having set back portions facing the loading space of the vehicle, folding deck rack sections hinged at their inner edges to said side walls and foldable from deck forming position into said set back portions, means pivotally mounted on the vehicle structure to support said rack sections at their meeting edges and foldable to an inoperative position outside of said loading space, and means for effecting interlocking engagement between the adjacent portions of said rack sections and between said rack sections and said supporting means as the rack sections are swung from their folded position to rest on their supporting means.

EDWARD A. SWEELEY. NORMAN T. ANDERSON. 

